CNU NextGen Essentials

The Congress for the New Urbanism’s annual meeting can be intimidating for a first timer. I remember walking around clueless during my first Congress, not knowing exactly what to do or where to go. Then all of a sudden I'd bump into someone like James Howard Kunstler, whose books I had loved, and I would be speechless and he'd be like, "Hey, do you know what time it is?"

This is CNU in a nutshell.

You'll bump into people who have designed entire towns that have existed longer than you have, best-selling authors you've studied and people with two degrees from Harvard who acted in hit Broadway musicals. It's a crazy place with an insane amount of intellectual capital. The downside: if you're someone like me who grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota, this environment can cause a lot of anxiety. The accessibly is intimidating.

For newcomers, CNU NextGen wants to bridge this gap. It's an organization that looks to welcome those new to CNU (read about us here) and create connections across generations. In our 11th year, we are looking to continue the tradition of hosting events designed to welcome and integrate new CNU’ers into the mix who will one day help shape the future of the organization.

Our home base in Buffalo will be the beautiful Lafayette Hotel (Google Maps). It’s a magnificent French Renaissance-style building and the lobby will act as the meeting and work space. Events will be held here (and a few other places) throughout the week.

Also, make sure to check-out Podcast 172: CNU 22 Preview with Chuck Banas and Chris Hawley. Those guys, along with Nate Neuman, have been absolutely essential in getting things planned. I can't thank them enough. Suffice it to say, I plan on buying all three of them plenty of drinks during the conference as a simple way of saying thanks.